


Route 16

by pixlh3art



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alola, But also, Drama, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Sinnoh, fluff and comfort, for people who also think that the Sun and Moon anime was too short, how tf am i supposed to tag this, literally nobody asked for this but i wrote it anyways, or for people who like the extremely weird and specific combination of things that this is, pokémon trainer x pokémon center employee
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-22 15:30:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixlh3art/pseuds/pixlh3art
Summary: Hazel works the night shift at the Pokémon Center on Route 16 of Ula'Ula Island. Her first shift alone is quite boring, until a mysterious Trainer from the Sinnoh region bursts in needing her help. But perhaps Violet can help show Hazel what she's been missing in the world of Pokémon, too...
Relationships: Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 22





	1. 3AM

“Hazel? Were you listening just now?”

Hazel blinked twice, turning her head towards the sound. The pink-haired woman gave her a sympathetic look as Hazel smoothed out the white apron over her dress.

“Um… would you mind explaining it one more time?” Hazel asked.

Nurse Joy sighed. “I’m heading home for the night, so you’re going to have to take care of things while I’m gone. Blissey and Comfey will be here to help you, too.”

Both Pokémon nodded reassuringly on either side of Nurse Joy. Hazel gave a shy smile at that, glad that she’d have at least some help.

“It’s the night shift, so you  _ hopefully _ won’t have too many visitors, but we both know that the Pokémon Center stays open all night for a reason.” Hazel chuckled at that. She’d only been an intern at the Center for a week, but Nurse Joy had already told her stories of people bursting in at three o’clock in the morning with a terribly urgent issue. These stories ranged from a girl who woke up to the cries of a Fletchinder with a broken wing just outside her window to a boy whose Pawniard had chipped the blade on its head while attempting to cut through steel cable on a dare.

“Right,” Hazel said. “I’ll call you if there’s an emergency.” Nurse Joy nodded at that, but the look in her eyes told Hazel that she’d better not call unless the building was going to burn down.

“Remember to use the machine out front when Trainers are just looking to have you heal their Pokémon up after battle. The back room is only for specific injuries and unique circumstances.”

“I know, I know,” Hazel said. At first, the machine out front was all that she’d been allowed to use. But, Nurse Joy had soon trusted her with the back room, where she had already pulled stone shards out of a Lycanroc’s teeth, bandaged a Hawlucha’s leg (though she could not help with its wounded pride), and even pulled a tiny steel thorn out of a Rhyperior’s foot. She had been  _ terrified  _ at first, but was very proud of her accomplishment once she managed to get the Rhyperior to calm down and let her remove it.

“I’m counting on you,” Nurse Joy said. She turned to Blissey and Comfey. “Don’t let Hazel get into too much trouble, okay, you two?” Both Pokémon responded with a nod and a determined grin. 

“We won’t let you down,” Hazel said. “Now head home and get some sleep.” 

“Arceus knows I need it,” she replied, yawning to emphasize the point. 

“Goodnight!” Hazel said, watching Nurse Joy tiredly wave and walk out the front exit.

“First night with the place to yourself, eh, Hazel?” A man asked from behind the counter at the cafe. 

“Hey, Joe,” Hazel said. “Yeah. I can’t tell whether I’m afraid that these night shifts are gonna be too boring, or that they’re going to be too stressful.”

Joe let out a hearty laugh. “Well, the café’s going to stay open for a few more hours yet, so at least you’ll have my company.” Hazel smiled, as Joe had been a ray of sunshine to her ever since her first day.

“Thanks,” she said. “I may have to sneak a cup of tea from you if we don’t get any Trainers for a while.”

“I won’t tell Nurse Joy that you slacked off,” Joe replied with a wink. “Just say the word, and it’ll be on the house.” Hazel rolled her eyes, but gave him a smile. 

Hazel busied herself with various menial tasks in the downtime between customers. She checked up on the Center’s inventory, and noticed that they’d probably run out of bandages in a few days, so she put in an order for more. Blissey watched the counter for a while as Hazel did some laundry, just uniforms and bedding from the rooms upstairs. After that, there really wasn’t much to do besides wait.

It was around two hours into Hazel’s very first night shift when she arrived. 

The automatic sliding doors opened and Hazel perked up to see a young woman breathlessly run inside. The first thing Hazel noticed was her hair - it was very long, and so dark that Hazel first thought it was black. But upon closer examination, she saw it was actually a deep purple, almost iridescent in the moonlight that streamed in through the Pokémon Center’s windows. She wore a loose-fitting dark grey tank top with an Ultra Ball emblazoned on it, and had a pair of light blue denim shorts, artfully ripped. A small, orange Pokémon clung to her left shoulder, its tail made of fire. Chimchar, Hazel knew - a very unusual Pokémon to find in this region. The girl’s Chimchar was focused on the small shape that she held in her arms - all that Hazel could make out was brown and white fur.

“Help!” The girl called, out of breath as she ran. “Nurse Joy, I need help!” She then looked up to see Hazel, and she faltered for a moment. 

“What’s going on?” Hazel asked, her voice even and determined. She hoped that her obviously pink Pokémon Center uniform and her position behind the counter would inform the visitor that she was here in place of Nurse Joy.

“My Eevee,” the girl replied, opening her arms and carefully laying Eevee down on the counter. “We were attacked by those jerks from, uh, Team Skull, I think? The ones with the masks who make all those weird gestures?”

Hazel nodded quickly, encouraging the girl to get to the point. 

“A-anyways, we were battling with their leader, and -” Hazel’s eyebrows shot up, amazed that Eevee appeared to be the only Pokémon of this Trainer’s which was seriously injured if  _ that _ were indeed what happened “ - and his Pokémon poisoned Eevee and then knocked a pillar down and then all this rubble fell on her and -” Hazel noticed that Eevee was protecting its right foreleg, and it was absolutely  _ covered  _ in scratches and bruises. The Trainer’s hands were similarly wounded. Had she needed to dig Eevee out of the rubble herself? “ - and I didn’t know what else to do, so I ran here.”

Hazel had already scooped Eevee up in her arms and was walking towards the back room, implying for the Trainer to follow her. “Is Eevee still poisoned, or were you able to cure that on your way?”

“No, sorry, I ran out of Antidotes -” Hazel interrupted her by pushing through the door to the back and setting Eevee down gently on a table. 

“Comfey,” she said, as the Pokémon dutifully floated up beside her, “use Aromatherapy, please.”

Comfey made a triumphant cry and shook its lei around. The room filled with the sweet aroma of flowers as Hazel opened a drawer full of gauze, bandages, and medical tape. Eevee slowly opened its eyes as Hazel began methodically preparing to dress its largest wound. 

The Trainer skirted around Hazel as she worked, positioning herself right in front of Eevee’s face. 

“Hey, sweetie,” she cooed as the Pokémon came to its senses. “Everything’s gonna be all right, okay? I’m so,  _ so  _ sorry. I messed up really badly, but I promise we’re gonna get you back on your feet really soon.” Eevee started to roll over, perhaps attempting to stand. Before Hazel could intervene, the Trainer gently held it there with her hands. “Shhh,” she whispered tenderly. “Don’t try to get up just yet. This nice lady is gonna take care of you, and I’m gonna be here the whole time. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

Eevee breathed out slowly, and Hazel could feel its body relax under her fingertips. Hazel continued to bandage slowly and carefully as the Trainer whispered sweet nothings to the wounded Pokémon.

It took almost an hour to disinfect and bandage everything. With that done, Hazel went about preparing a splint for Eevee’s leg. 

“So,” Hazel said, speaking up for the first time since Comfey had cured Eevee of its poisoning. “Would you like to explain to me precisely  _ why  _ you were in Po Town so late at night?”

The girl shrank into herself at the question. Hazel felt bad about being so stern, but ther decision had been incredibly stupid.

“We were… um… challenging Team Skull,” she explained slowly. “My Pokémon and I, that is.” Her eyes lit up. “Wait, how’d you know I went to Po Town?” 

Hazel sighed. “Because if you really fought Team Skull’s leader, you probably did it there, and this Pokémon Center is the closest one on the island. Besides the one that had to close down after those hooligans moved in, anyways.”

“Oh, yeah… I guess it  _ is _ sorta obvious, huh?”

Hazel merely hummed in response. 

They stood there in silence for a few minutes as Hazel properly applied the splint to Eevee’s leg. It appeared to have fallen asleep again, but this time it was a calm, exhausted sleep rather than as a result of its wounds. 

“Thank you,” the Trainer said. Hazel met her eyes for a moment. She had such beautiful brown eyes. The Trainer looked back, and for a magical moment or two, Hazel couldn’t see or think of anything else. She, strangely just felt herself getting lost in the Trainer’s shy gaze, and while she wasn’t exactly certain, the feeling seemed mutual. 

“Char!” The Trainer’s Chimchar calmly leapt off her shoulder, slowly walking up to Eevee. Both of them watched as it looked Eevee over for a minute, then gingerly rested its head against Eevee’s flank. Careful to keep its fiery tail off of Eevee’s body, Chimchar snuggled itself up and promptly fell asleep.

Hazel and the Trainer met each others’ eyes again, both simultaneously realizing how horribly awkward things suddenly were. Hazel quickly noticed that her cheeks felt warm, and so she looked away, letting out an embarrassed cough. 

“So, uhm,” Hazel began. “Is the rest of your team doing okay, or would you like me to heal them up at the front?” The Trainer laughed. Her laugh was so bright and so  _ adorable _ and Hazel hated how adorable it was.

“Eevee and Chimchar are the only ones who really battled,” she explained. She looked down at the floor. “As soon as Eevee got hurt this badly, I just… I turned and ran here.” 

“It… it’s all right,” Hazel said. She did her best to sound soothing. “You did the right thing.” The Trainer met her eyes again, and Hazel offered a comforting smile. “We’ll have Eevee feeling better before you know it, I promise.”

“Thank you,” the Trainer said. She then blinked for a second, thinking to herself. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I never even asked your name.” It seemed like it was more of a realization than a question, but Hazel answered anyways.

“My name is Hazel,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.” She offered a hand, which the Trainer shook. Hazel remembered that the Trainer’s hands were also injured. 

“I’m Violet,” the Trainer said. “And, well… I guess you’ve already met Eevee and Chimchar.” Hazel nodded, and then reached for some bandages.

“What’re those for?” She asked. “Does Eevee have any other injuries?”

“No,” Hazel said, approaching Violet slowly. “But your hands…” 

“Oh!” Violet said, looking down at her hands as if she were noticing for the first time. “I… yeah, I guess so…” Hazel smiled, gesturing for Violet to sit on a bench.

“How did this happen?” Hazel asked. “These are some pretty deep cuts.”

“I dunno,” Violet said. “Maybe the rubble I dug Eevee out from? Honestly, I was so worried about her, I must not have noticed.” She winced slightly, and Hazel loosened the bandage she was wrapping. “I didn’t know that Pokémon Center employees were trained to heal humans, too.” Hazel chuckled.

“It’s not so different, really,” she said. “There’s a lot of similarities between people and Pokémon. At least, medically speaking.”

“Mm,” Violet said. “Thank you so much, for… for everything.”

Hazel simply nodded, unsure of what to say. They spent the next few minutes in a comfortable silence, and Hazel finished up with Violet’s hands. She’d made sure not to restrict her mobility  _ too _ much, and as Hazel wiggled her fingers, she was relieved to see that she didn’t appear to be too impeded. 

“I guess I should just let them sleep here tonight, huh?” Violet asked, gesturing to Chimchar and Eevee, still asleep on the table. “Will that be okay?”

“Of course!” Hazel replied. “Will you be able to get home safe tonight? If you’d rather stay here, there are some rooms upstairs where you can spend the night.”

“I might just take you up on that,” Violet said. “Chimchar seems just as exhausted as I am, and she’ll never forgive me if I wake her up by putting her in her Poké Ball.”

“Of course.” Hazel said. “I’ll head upstairs and prepare a room for you. Please wait here, and I’ll be just a moment!”

“No, it’s okay,” Violet said. “It’s nearly three o’clock in the morning, and you’ve already done so much for me and my Pokémon.” Hazel felt her face warming.  
“N-no, please, it’s my job! Helping Trainers out is what we do.”

“Even still.” Violet was looking right into her eyes now, with a tender smile on her face. “At least let me help?” Hazel returned Violet’s gaze for a moment, then nervously poked her head out of the back room, to see that Blissey was still dutifully standing at the counter. 

“Blissey, would you mind staying at the front for a little bit longer?”  
“Blissey!” Blissey replied with a determined nod. Hazel absentmindedly wrung her hands for a moment.

“I… I suppose you could lend a hand, then. If you’re certain, that is.”

“I am,” Violet replied instantly, with that same tender grin.    


If all of her smiles were like that, Hazel was in even more trouble than she thought.

* * *

“So,” Violet began. “What made you start working at the Pokémon Center?” Hazel froze up for a moment in surprise, and Violet noticed instantly, shrinking back a little. “Sorry if it’s too personal,” she backpedaled. “I just… I had always thought that the Pokémon Center was more of a family thing.”

Hazel laughed. “It usually has been, yes.”

“Wait,” Violet said. “You and Nurse Joy aren’t sisters or anything, are you?” 

“No, no,” Hazel replied. “Nepotism wasn’t a part of the hiring process, as far as I can tell.”

“Oh!” Violet said, stopping for a moment. Hazel looked up and saw the tiniest hint of pink in her cheeks. “I’m sorry, that isn’t what I meant to imply.” 

“I know,” Hazel said with a smile. “Here - hand me that corner?” Violet dutifully gave her one part of the fitted sheet they were putting on the bed. Their hands briefly brushed together, and Hazel’s heartbeat sped up a little. She pulled up one corner of the mattress, as Violet did the same with the opposite corner.

“To answer your question,” Hazel continued, “More and more Pokémon Centers have been popping up across Alola as more and more Trainers are here for the Island Challenge. I mean, for goodness’ sake, there are  _ two _ Centers in Hau’oli City.” Violet laughed. “And they’re  _ both _ busy!” Once two corners of the fitted sheet were set, the pair silently moved to do the other two. 

“So, for some of the Pokémon Centers that aren’t travelled to as frequently, like here on Route 16, they’ve had to hire different staff for the night shifts.”

“I see,” Violet replied. “Do you like the job?”

“It can often be quite... eventful, so yes,” Hazel replied. “But this is only my first week.”

“Wow, I guess my visit kinda threw you into the deep end, huh?” Violet asked. She nervously smiled and put a hand behind her head. “Sorry about that.”

“It- it’s okay,” Hazel replied. “I’m just glad that you were able to bring Eevee here when you could.” She looked up from the bed, now fully made. “And don’t ever do something so reckless again!”

“I won’t.” Violet said. It had far more... gravity... than Hazel was expecting. 

Violet sat down on the foot of the bed. “I’m such an idiot,” she said. “I figured that Team Skull would be just like those Galactic idiots back home, and most of the grunts were, but…” Hazel watched her slowly curl up into herself, miserable. “I got way too careless and I let Eevee get really hurt.”

Hazel completely froze. She wanted to help, but she didn’t know what to do - what would be appropriate, what would make things better, what Violet would want…

“Sorry.” Violet said. “This isn’t your job, and you’ve already done so much.”

“No!” Hazel said, a little too loudly. She cautiously sat next to Violet on the foot of the bed, making sure that their shoulders didn’t touch. 

“It’s… it’s all right.” She said. “Nobody ever said that these things were easy. And… you handled yourself remarkably well with Eevee.”

“I… I did?” Violet asked, looking up.

“Absolutely.” Hazel said. “You were a huge help.”

“Thanks…” Violet said quietly. 

“Of course,” Hazel said. “Now, I’ve got to go back downstairs to take over the counter, I’m sure that Blissey needs a break. Are you going to be okay, here?” 

Violet gave a wan smile. “Yes,” she said. “Thank you, again, for everything.”

Hazel had almost left the room when Violet spoke up again. “When… when you get off work, can I buy you a coffee at the café? To pay you back for all this?” Hazel’s heartbeat quickened. She forced her feelings down for a moment, and slowly turned around to attempt to be at least somewhat composed.

“My shift ends at five-thirty AM,” she said. “And at that point, I would like to head to  _ my _ room and go to sleep.” Violet looked embarrassed, and yet somehow still adorable. 

“But,” Hazel began, “I’ll likely wake up at around noon tomorrow - er, today. So if you’re still interested in having coffee with me… I wouldn’t mind talking then, under less stressful circumstances.”

Violet smiled, and nodded. “It’s a date!”

Hazel closed the door to Violet’s room behind her, leaning against it and closing her eyes in equal parts relief, shock, excitement, and nervousness. 

It was a date. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya, I'm Red*!
> 
> Thank you SO much for reading this little experiment! I'd love to continue this fic if others are interested - I'll probably add a chapter or three no matter what, but I'd love to hear what folks think of this so far. I have several smaller ideas for things that I can do with Violet and Hazel, mostly spurred on by the hundreds of hours I've put into my copy of Ultra Sun and the fact that I binged the entire Sun and Moon anime (minus the last episode because I dunno if it's translated yet) in about a week. It was really inspiring, especially that Pokémon Center episode. Though I suppose that part's not surprising.
> 
> If you're a fan of my other works who came to check this out, thank you so much! If this is the first that you've seen of my writing, then please check out my other major work, Birds of a Feather! It's about Samus Aran falling in love with a space princess that she saved from a Space Pirate, and I'm super proud of it.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/18991612/chapters/45096991
> 
> Regardless, thank you so much for reading, and please let me know what you think~!
> 
> -Red
> 
> *Not the silent protagonist at the top of Mt. Silver, that's just my edgy Author Persona(tm)


	2. The Date

Violet kept worrying at her clothes while she sat at the café, the heel of her sneaker bouncing with what someone might interpret as nervousness. It was around 11:45 AM, so Hazel still probably wasn’t awake yet. Chimchar slowly walked across her back to sit on her other shoulder, and Hazel absentmindedly scratched at her head once she settled. 

“I know, I know, I’m overthinking this,” Violet said to Chimchar. 

“Char!” Chimchar agreed. 

“You’re right, and I know you are. She’s probably not going to notice that I’m wearing the same outfit, and that I haven’t been able to put on makeup, and that I didn’t wash my hair, and… yeah.”

Violet sighed. Normally, she didn’t put  _ too _ much effort into her appearance, but it was one of those things that she hadn’t started worrying about until she’d sat down at the café fifteen minutes ago. After all, this was sort of a date, right? Kind of? They  _ were _ just getting coffee. Just a thank-you coffee. And then maybe, maybe something would come out of it. Maybe. Yeah.

“Um, excuse me,” a man’s voice said from behind her. “Can I get you anything?”

“Oh!” Violet said, pulling out of her own thoughts. She turned to smile at the somewhat older man standing behind her. “No, thank you - I’m actually waiting for someone.”

“Ah, I see,” the man replied, a knowing smile on his lips. “Somebody special?”

Violet blushed a little, amazed that he’d been so quickly able to tell. “Yeah, I guess she is special - she saved my Pokémon last night. I wanted to thank her once her shift ended and she got some sleep.”

“Ah, so  _ you’re _ the mysterious Trainer who busted in at 3 AM.” The man laughed. 

Violet had been blushing a little already, but after being so casually called out, her entire face must have gone bright red. The man let out a hearty laugh at her reaction.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Gossip just travels fast around the Center.”

“Oh, I um… I see,” Violet replied, trying not to sound mortified. 

“Yeah. I heard from Dave over at the Poké Mart, and he heard from Nurse Joy, who probably heard from Hazel herself…”

“Right…” Violet looked down at the table.

The man walked around the circular table and sat down across from Violet. 

“Hey,” he began, his tone a bit more serious, contrasting his previous, more jovial mannerisms. “Things happen. Sometimes your Pokémon get hurt, and it just so happens to also be three in the morning. It was better that you came here than anything else.” Violet looked up from the table, giving the man a wan smile. “Besides,” he said. “I think it’s very sweet of you to be thanking her. Hazel’s a good kid, and her job is the type where you don’t get as much recognition as you really deserve. I think she’ll really appreciate it.”

“I hope so,” Violet said. “Thanks.”

“Oh! I’m Joe, by the way.” The man said. 

“Violet,” she replied. “And this is Chimchar.”

“Char!” Chimchar added. 

“Lovely to meet you both,” the man said, his jovial tone returning. “I look forward to seeing you again, though I hope it’s at a more reasonable hour than your first visit.”

“Well, fortunately I’ll be around a little while longer,” Violet said. “I talked to Nurse Joy this morning, and she thinks that it’ll take Eevee another few days to recover.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Joe said. For a moment, he looked past Violet’s shoulder, and smiled. “Oh, one more thing.”

“What is it?” Violet asked. Joe pointed past her, and when Violet turned, there was Hazel, coming down the stairs towards her table. When Violet let out a small gasp, Joe asked, “How do you like your coffee?”

* * *

Violet  _ tried _ to keep herself from going slack-jawed as Hazel made it to the bottom of the staircase. She wore an incredibly elegant black and white ruffled blouse, with short frilly sleeves. The design seemed to emulate the look of a black tuxedo vest over a pleated white shirt, despite only being one garment. As if that wasn’t already fancy enough, Hazel  _ also _ wore a white pleated miniskirt (a rather… _ short _ … miniskirt, Violet noticed) and completed the look with a black pair of kitten-heeled sandals. Her green-streaked, brown hair was also down in a bob, instead of the businesslike bun she had worn during her shift last night. Violet also saw that the top of her ear had a small, silver ring through it - she hadn’t been wearing that last night.

She looked  _ amazing _ and was probably dressed more formally than Violet ever had in her entire life, and she was doing it all despite the remarkable Alolan heat. Violet awkwardly stood up, feeling even more underdressed than she had just a few minutes ago.

“Hey!” Hazel said cheerily as she approached.

Violet collected her jaw from the floor and replied, “Hi!” in a manner that she hoped was able to hide her nervousness. When Hazel got close enough, they did an awkward dance where Violet offered a hug, which Hazel wasn’t expecting, and by the time Violet had backpedaled it into a wave, Hazel was reciprocating the hug offer, so they ended up in a haphazard partial hug. They both managed to laugh it off, and separated with a matching pair of embarrassed grins. 

Violet offered Hazel the closer chair, which she accepted. 

“You look really great!” Violet said, hoping she sounded nonchalant enough. “I absolutely love your outfit.”

“Thank you,” Hazel said, giving a tiny curtsy in her chair. “Sorry, I realize I  _ might  _ be a tad overdressed…”

“No!” Violet said, too quickly. “It’s… it’s really great. I mean, I guess I did say this was a  _ date, _ so…” She immediately resisted the urge to slap her hand over her mouth. That was so stupid - she still didn’t know if that’s what was happening, if Hazel was expecting that, if she was, well, into girls…

To her utter relief, Hazel smiled. “Yes, you did. I put on a more casual outfit first, and then I thought about changing out one piece to make it a little more formal, and then… I ended up here.” She gave a soft little laugh, perhaps trying to cover the fact that she’d just overshared as much as Violet had.

“So, uhm… coffee?” Violet asked, giving Hazel the chance to change topics. 

“Yes!” Hazel replied, too quickly. “Here, Joe knows my coffee order already, so you can order whatever you like and then tell him I’ll have my usual.”

“Okay!” Hazel said. She stood there for about a second too long, then nodded, turned, and walked the few feet over to the counter of the café. 

“I’ll have a regular coffee with cream and two sugars,” Violet said to Joe. “And she’ll have, uh… her usual.”

“I figured,” Joe said, revealing that he’d brewed Hazel’s drink already as he put it up on the counter. He spent a minute or two making Violet’s, and placed both cups on the counter. Violet quickly paid for both drinks, and as Joe was handing her her change, he whispered, “Go get her, kiddo. I’m rootin’ for ya!” and he gave Hazel a wink as she picked up both of their drinks. 

Trying to keep the red out of her face, Violet dutifully carried both coffees back to their table, making sure to set Hazel’s in front of her before sitting down herself.

“So,” Hazel asked after taking her first sip, “How’d you sleep? Did the room I set up for you work out and everything?”

“It was great!” Violet responded immediately. She backpedaled. “Well. I did struggle to fall asleep at first, but that’s mostly just because I was worried about Eevee.”

“Oh, how’s she doing, by the way?” Hazel asked. “Have you checked with Nurse Joy?”

“Yep! She said Eevee’s probably going to need a few more days here before she’s fully recovered.” Hazel gave her an indulgent look, though it almost seemed like she was first masking something like an excited smile.

“I figured as much,” Hazel said, her voice soft and sympathetic. “I’m sorry. We’ll get her feeling better as quick as we can!”

“Thanks, and it’s okay,” Violet said. “I don’t mind hanging around the Pokémon Center for a few days. I’m sure the rest of my team could use a break from the Island Challenge, anyways.”

“Oh, you’re a trialgoer?” Hazel asked. “I suppose I should have guessed.”

“Yeah,” Violet said, scratching at the back of her neck with a grin. “My Pokémon are really fired up by the whole thing. Most days it just feels like I’m along for the ride.”

“I see,” Hazel laughed. “May I meet them?”

“I’m sorry?” Violet asked, confused.

“Your Pokémon!” Hazel clarified. She suddenly appeared to be a tad embarrassed at her request. “I’m sorry, I want to try and meet as many kinds of Pokémon as I can so I’ll be able to help them out a little better if I ever see them at work.”

“Of course!” Violet said, pulling three Poké Balls from her belt. “Come on out, everybody!” She tossed them into the air with both hands, and three smallish shapes popped out in a line. 

Violet couldn’t help smiling when she heard Hazel gasp at the sight. Hazel  _ probably _ hadn’t seen at least two of her Pokémon before, since they were native to Violet’s home region.

“Here, let me introduce them all.” Violet began. She started with the squat blue and grey baby-like dragon on the right. “That’s Gible,” she said, scratching the Pokémon under its chin. “She’s travelling with me while Professor Rowan is keeping her mom at his lab.” Gible’s eyes closed in happiness at the given chin scritches. Once Violet stopped and patted Gible on the head, the Pokémon gave Hazel a toothy grin that was about as wide as her entire body.

Hazel then pointed at the short blue humanoid Pokémon in the middle. “That’s Riolu,” she said. “I met a man on an island off the coast of a place called Canalave City, and he gave me a Pokémon egg that hatched into this little guy.” Violet reached down to affectionately tousle the fur on Riolu’s head. He crossed his arms indignantly at the coddling, but didn’t make a move to stop her.

“And a more recent addition to our merry band, Rockruff.” The brown, four-legged Pokémon gave a happy yip at the mention of his name, his curly white tail wagging furiously.

“Oh, I’ve seen a few Rockruff around here before,” Hazel said with a smile. She bent down to pet Rockruff, who practically melted at her touch.

“Yeah, I caught him around here a few days after I arrived. And of course, you’ve met Chimchar and Eevee.” Violet finished. 

“Indeed,” Hazel said with a smile. Rockruff appeared to be taking up a not insignificant part of her attention as he rolled onto his back, demanding that Hazel continue petting his belly. Violet rolled her eyes, but kept a grin.

“Your Pokémon are so wonderful,” Hazel said. “Thanks for letting me meet them all!” She gave a huge smile to Riolu and Gible, who were more than a little jealous that Rockruff had stolen so much of Hazel’s attention.

“Thanks!” Violet said. “I do my best to take care of them, and we’ve already been through a lot together.”

“I can only imagine,” Hazel agreed. “I bet it’s quite a handful, with  _ five _ of them.”

“Hmm? Nah,” Violet said. “I used to travel with  _ six _ Pokémon back home, and they were all bigger than these little troublemakers.”

“ _ Six?” _ Hazel asked, with astonishment. “Wow, how did you manage that?”

“Lots and lots of patience,” Violet smiled. “I’m sure it’s not very different than your day-to-day.” 

“Mm, I suppose not.” Hazel said. She thought to herself for a moment, switching her petting hand over to Gible, who was  _ very _ insistent for her attention, and then spoke up again. 

“You said that a professor was looking after one of your Pokémon ‘back home.’”

Hazel looked up at her, scratching at the back of her neck again. Professor Rowan was taking care of a  _ few _ of her Pokémon back home. “Yep!” She replied.

“Where’s ‘home,’ for you?” Hazel asked. “You said you were visiting Alola…”

“Oh!” Violet said. “I’m from Twinleaf Town, in the Sinnoh region.”

“Wow!” Hazel said. “You must have travelled pretty far to get here…”

“Eight hour flight,” Violet said proudly. “Chimchar slept nearly the whole time, but I wasn’t so lucky.”

“Mm,” Hazel hummed.

“How about you?” Violet asked. “Are you from around here?”

“Yes! Well, I was born on Melemele Island, but I’ve been living here on Ula’Ula for a while now.”

“I see,” Violet said. “What made you leave home? Was it this job?”

Hazel shyly pushed her hair behind her ear. She seemed a little embarrassed at the question. “No, the job came later. I just… I had to get out of the house, you know?”

“I totally get that,” Violet said. “As soon as I turned ten, I was so ready to leave home that somebody had to remind me to actually say goodbye to my mom.”

“Ah, I suppose that makes sense…” Hazel said, suddenly melancholy. Violet immediately noticed the shift in her energy, and responded in kind.

“I’m sorry,” Violet said, in earnest. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Hmm? Oh, no,” Hazel said. She gave Violet a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine, I promise!”

Violet narrowed her eyes a little, but she didn’t want to pry.

“All right,” Violet said. She went to take another sip of her coffee, but she realized that it was empty. Hazel appeared to come to a similar conclusion a few minutes later. 

“Tell you what,” Hazel said. “I’ve been cooped up in this Pokémon Center all weekend. I mean, I literally live here.”

Violet raised her eyebrows at that, but she supposed that it made sense. Hazel  _ did _ work night shifts, and since the Center already had rooms for guests, it probably made a lot more sense for her to stay there overnight rather than walk somewhere else on the island at five in the morning. Especially with Po Town so close by…

“So,” Hazel continued, “I’ve got the day off today, and I haven’t eaten anything yet…”

“Me neither,” Violet laughed. 

“I figured.” Hazel grinned, then shyly looked away. “So, I figured that maybe… you’d wanna walk to the city with me and grab some lunch?”

Violet was surprised. She hadn’t expected the second date to happen so soon after the first. Especially because she wasn’t  _ entirely _ certain that this was even a date. Or if Hazel liked girls. She  _ could _ just be making the offer to be friendly, or even just because she was hungry.

“Um… I’d like that!” Violet replied, determined to not overthink things too much. She’d been invited to lunch, and while she wasn’t entirely certain if there was an implication of anything  _ else _ happening, she could at least accept what Hazel had actually offered.

“Great!” Hazel said. “I want to head up to my room for a little bit and grab some things. Meet me back here in, say, ten minutes?”

“Sure!” Violet said. The pair got up from their table, and Violet brought all of her Pokémon back into their Poké Balls, except for Chimchar, who dutifully stayed asleep on her shoulder. Hazel threw her coffee cup away, and Violet did the same a moment later. They then realized that they were heading to the same staircase, and shared an awkward chuckle about it. Their rooms were on opposite sides of the hall, and Hazel gave Violet a friendly wave before heading into her room.

Violet splashed some cool water on her face in the bathroom, though she’d made sure to set Chimchar down on the bed so she wouldn’t get wet. She toweled off her face, and ran her fingers through her hair, wishing she’d travelled with a comb. Sighing, she took the hair tie off of her wrist and made a loose, comfortable ponytail. With no other meaningful preparation to do, she sighed, and headed back downstairs to wait for Hazel. 

She scooped Chimchar up from the bed when it reached for her, having finally awoken. “C’mere, lazy baby,” she said. “We’re going on a maybe-date with a girl!” 

“Char!” Chimchar said.

* * *

“Ready?” Violet asked. 

“Yup!” Hazel said. She’d put on a small amount of mascara, which made Violet both flattered and embarrassed that she hadn’t brought any makeup of her own.

They walked out of the Pokémon Center and headed down Route 15, hugging the coast of the island. They shared a comfortable silence for a little bit, before Hazel suddenly spoke up.

“Um… can I… can I hold your hand?” She asked. Violet’s cheeks immediately caught fire.

“Oh! Yeah, sure!” Violet said. She felt her stomach do a little flip as Hazel’s hand made its way into hers. She looked down at Hazel, who met her eyes with a soft, nervous smile. Hazel’s brows then knit together a little, and their pace slowed a bit.

“Is… is everything okay?” She asked.

“Of course!” Violet said. She chuckled a little bit. “I’m sorry, I… I wasn’t sure if you were into girls. If that… if that’s what this was. Y’know?” At this, Hazel’s hand left hers and they stopped walking completely. Hazel turned to face her.

“Violet.” She stated, hands on her hips. “I’ve got short hair with green streaks in it, and a helix piercing. You also directly  _ called _ this a date, like twice, and I accepted. I like girls.”

“Now that you put it like that, I… yeah.” Violet admitted. Hazel’s hands fell from her hips, and she rolled her eyes with a grin. 

“Come on, you,” she said, taking Violet’s hand again. “Let’s grab some sushi.”

“Oh, are we headed to Sushi High Roller?” Violet asked. 

“Yeah. Have you been before?”

“Once. It was really good, but… I think my outfit miiiight be a little too casual.”

“Mm, good point,” Hazel mused. “Do you have other clothes where you’re staying?”

“Yeah, on Melemele Island…” Hazel made a soft ‘ah’ of understanding. The ferry ride between the two islands was pretty much the longest one in Alola. 

“Well, what do you want to do?” Hazel asked.

“I still really wanna go with you,” Violet said, trying not to put  _ too  _ much emphasis on the last two words. “There are clothes shops in Malie City, right? I’ve been meaning to get some new outfits, I only have like three that suit the weather.”

“Oh, yeah, the Sinnoh region is really cold, right?” Hazel asked. Violet nodded. “Sure! I wouldn’t mind doing a spot of shopping before lunch.”

Violet was reeling, just a little bit, from what her simple coffee invitation had become. She was, of course, thrilled that Hazel was so immediately interested in spending time with her, but if someone had told her that the Pokémon Nurse who had saved her Eevee would be holding her hand and shopping for clothes with her less than 12 hours later, she would have laughed in their face.

“Let’s do it!” Violet said. “I can’t wait to get your opinion on the clothes I pick out.”

Hazel’s cheeks turned bright red. “Are… are you sure you want my opinion? I mean, we just met…”

“Are you kidding?” Violet asked. “You wore  _ that _ incredible outfit to a coffee date with a girl that you met at like 2 AM the previous night. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in good hands.” Hazel smiled, still a little nervous. Violet took her hand, interlocking their fingers this time. 

“Okay,” Hazel said, visibly blushing a little bit. “How do you feel about skirts?”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> relationship speedrun any%
> 
> Seriously, though, this chapter ended up being a bit more, well... for lack of a better word, "pedestrian," than I was expecting, but I just sorta let it take me where it wanted to take me. I promise that I've got plans for a little more action in the next chapter, as well as in the fic as a whole. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what y'all think of this chapter - did you like how casual things became? It felt somewhat natural to me, but I'm incredibly curious as to what others think. Feedback is always appreciated! Next chapter soonish probably!
> 
> -Red
> 
> P.S. For fun/inspiration, almost all of the characters' appearances are based on clothes found in the real games! The in-game names for Hazel's clothes are, in order, the Ruffled Blouse (black) Pleated Miniskirt (white) and the Low-heeled Sandals (black). Her hair is something between the "romantic tuck" and the "short and bobbed" hairstyles. Violet's hair is "long and straight," (though Violet definitely isn't straight, heh) plus she's wearing the Frayed Denim Shorts, in Light Blue, plus a grey tank top with an Ultra Ball on it, which I made up, and if it isn't official Pokémon merch then it should be. All of these clothes/hair (except the shirt I made up, plus Violet's sneakers) can be found here! serebii.net/ultrasunultramoon/customisation.shtml


	3. Encounter

“What do you think?” Violet asked, as she nervously stepped out of the changing room. She wore a black button-down shirt with pink and white flowers printed on it, and a pair of black distressed jeans, cut off at the ankle.

“Hmm,” Hazel replied, finger and thumb on her chin. “Go back to the halter top? Love the pants, though.” Violet blushed. Not only at the compliment, but the fact that the halter top that Hazel had recommended left her shoulders totally exposed. It was definitely nicer than her tank top, but it was still _ quite _ revealing. She smiled, and walked back into the changing room.

“Char!” Chimchar said as she stood next to Hazel, reaching for her. She laughed.

“Aww, aren’t you cute!” Hazel said. She scooped Chimchar up and cradled her in her arms. “I know, I know, Vi’s almost finished in there. But hey, you can sit on _ my _ shoulder, if you like.”

Chimchar gave a little nod, and began to scramble up Hazel’s arm to her shoulder. Hazel tousled the little tuft of fur on Chimchar’s head with a grin.

“Okay, _ now _ what do you think?” Violet asked as she walked out of the changing room. She stopped suddenly, mouth agape. 

“Mm?” Hazel asked, still absentmindedly scratching Chimchar.

“She… she trusts you.” Violet stated in disbelief.

“Um…” Hazel replied, feeling suddenly awkward. Violet blinked away her astonishment.  
“Sorry, I… I’m just surprised. She usually doesn’t like other people at all.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. She had trouble warning up to the people at the Daycare, even though they were literally the first humans she’d ever met. The only other people who can touch her without being literally burned are me and my mom.”

“Wow… I… I had no idea.” Hazel said quietly. She had stopped petting, and Chimchar, indignantly, grabbed Hazel’s hand with her own and pulled it back down to rest on her head again. “You must really like me, huh?” Hazel giggled as she started to scratch again.

“Yeah…” Violet said. “She really must. Maybe it’s because you took care of Eevee? They’re really close.”

“Mm,” Hazel hummed. “Well either way, it really means a lot that you trust me, Chimchar.”

“Char!” The Pokémon replied. 

“Mind if she stays with me for a while?” Hazel asked sheepishly.

“Sure!” Violet replied. She rolled her shoulder. “She’s gotten heavier in the last few months, and my back could really use a break.”

“Char!” Chimchar said, offended.

“Hey, you’re just growing stronger!” Hazel said. “One of these days you’ll probably evolve, and then you won’t be able to ride on my shoulder anymore.”

Chimchar harrumphed and crossed her arms.  
“Seems like Chimchar may not _want_ to evolve,” Hazel offered.

“Yeah, probably not.” Violet said with a laugh. “I’ve still got an Everstone in my bag. Maybe I’ll make her a little sling to carry it so she can still use her arms and legs to battle.”

Chimchar seemed very pleased with this idea, and with the idea of staying with Hazel. Violet just shook her head, still struggling to believe that this amazing girl who had come into her life on a whim was actually real.

“So… think this look will work?”  
Hazel had nearly forgotten. As soon as she got a good look at Violet, her cheeks quickly reddened, causing Violet’s to do the same. The white-and-grey striped halter top essentially went from Hazel’s waist to just the bottom of her armpits - she’d also had to take a black bandeaux to not show the world that she preferred pink bras. Fortunately, her long hair (which she’d let out of her ponytail) and the very thin straps of the garment itself were enough to cover what the bandeaux couldn’t. Truth be told, it was _never_ something that Violet would have chosen on her own, but since Hazel had recommended the outfit, Violet had to admit, it _did_ look pretty good on her. 

“It’s… it’s amazing, Vi.” She nervously pushed her hair behind one ear. “Um… mind if I call you Vi?”

“Yeah!” Violet replied. “Go for it.” She gave Hazel what she hoped was a flirty wink.

“So… on to lunch, then?”

“On to lunch!” Violet replied, and Hazel giggled.

* * *

“Welcome to Sushi High Roller!” the hostess said. “Table for two?”

“Yup!” Hazel said, hoping that her voice didn’t convey too much nervousness. 

“Follow me,” the hostess said. But after she’d taken just a few steps, she paused. “We generally ask customers to put their Pokémon in their Poké Balls while they dine,” she said, glancing over at Chimchar. 

“Oh,” Violet replied. “Y’see… my Chimchar _ really _ doesn’t like her Poké Ball. Not one bit. She’ll be very upset with me if I put her in there. If she even lets me…”

“Lets you?” the waitress asked, concerned.

“Yeah, normally she’ll slap it away with her hand or something,” Violet said, shrugging. 

“Please, if it’s at all possible,” the hostess said, aware that she was being backed into a corner.

“I _ really _ wouldn’t like to,” Violet said in earnest. “She learned Fire Punch last week, and that’s something that she might demonstrate here if I try to put her in there.”

The hostess gave a long-suffering sigh. “Can she be well-behaved otherwise?”

“Very,” Violet said immediately. “She’ll probably fall asleep once we’ve sat down.”

“Then I _ suppose _ it would be all right for her to stay with you, then. We wouldn’t want her to cause a fuss.” The hostess turned, and started guiding them to their table.

“Sorry about all that,” Hazel said quietly. “I didn’t know they have that policy.”

“What, you’ve never tried to bring a Pokémon in to eat with you?” Violet teased.

“No,” Hazel said, the sad tone of her voice quite incongruous with Violet’s. “I don’t have any Pokémon.”

“Oh,” Violet simply said, unable to summon a better reply as they were shown to their table. 

“I’m sorry about what I said,” Violet said, after a few minutes of silently reading the menu. “I shouldn’t have assumed that you had a Pokémon.”

“No, it’s okay,” Hazel said. “Most people do, even at the Center. Blissey belongs to Nurse Joy - apparently she hatched it from an egg the day she entered medical school, and they’ve been nearly inseparable ever since.”

“Wow,” Violet said, impressed. “Still, it was a rude, thoughtless thing to say, and I’m sorry.”

“It’s really all right,” Hazel said. She gave a wan smile. “But thank you.”

“May I ask…” Violet began. It _ probably _ wasn’t second-date conversation material, but she was already invested. “... why? Why you never got a Pokémon?”

Hazel sighed, melancholy. Violet backpedaled.

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna share. I totally get if it’s a private thing, or even if there’s just no real explanation. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“When I turned ten,” Hazel began, and Violet immediately stopped talking to listen. “I actually did get a Pokémon. For a little while, at least.”

“Oh…” Violet said quietly. “Did… did something happen?”

“I guess, yeah,” Hazel said. “I was a total screw-up.”

Violet’s eyebrows jumped into her hairline and her heart broke in sympathy, but she could tell that Hazel didn’t want her to engage with that, so she stayed quiet.

“I had a Litten for about four days. Every time I battled, I lost. Badly. Litten had so much faith in me and it just kept getting _ hurt _ because I had no idea what I was doing, and - ” Hazel stopped for a moment to catch her breath. “I ended up taking it back to Professor Kukui. I just… wasn’t ready for a Pokémon of my own, so I gave it back to him. I’ve never had another Pokémon since.” 

Violet was overwhelmed with sadness - she could feel it in her chest. It felt like a physical weight, something inside her lungs that made it difficult to breathe. Then, a waiter came by to take Hazel’s lunch order, and her face immediately brightened as she gave it. Violet had seen that kind of emotional switch flicked on and off before - she knew well that it was an emotional trick that one trained themselves for once they’d told the same sad tale to several different people. 

Violet blinked a few times when the waiter asked her what she’d like, and then remembered what she was planning on getting. Once the waiter left, there was a bit of an awkward silence, which Violet figured was her fault.

“Sorry,” Violet said. “Thank you for telling me your story - and I’m sorry that it happened.”

“No, it’s okay,” Hazel said. “Some people aren’t really meant to train a Pokémon, I guess. And that’s okay! I’m more than happy making sure that everybody _ else’s _ Pokémon are taken care of when they need it.” To Violet, it _ almost _ seemed like Hazel was trying to convince herself of that more than anything else, but she didn’t want to pry any further. 

They kept their conversation light as they waited for their food - mostly small talk about Violet’s Pokémon and some of the smaller aspects of Hazel’s job. When their sushi arrived, they both immediately dug in, as they were both starving. Violet had fed Chimchar that morning (she realized that it said a lot about her that she travelled with food for her Pokémon but not for herself) so she was, as predicted, fast asleep on Hazel’s shoulder. She had draped herself over the girl, lying facedown with her fiery butt sticking humorously in the air. 

Violet didn’t realize she was actually giggling when she noticed, and she saw that Hazel’s cheeks were slowly reddening. “Is there something on my face?” Hazel finally asked.

“Oh, no!” Violet said. “I’m sorry, it’s just that… “ she pointed. “Chimchar’s really comfortable with you, it seems.”

Hazel craned her neck to see her own shoulder, and she made a small gasp of surprise when she noticed that Chimchar was snoring. She subconsciously brushed her hair farther away from the Pokémon’s fiery tail, even though it was in no real danger of being singed. 

“I can take her back, if you like,” Violet offered. “She normally doesn’t do this.”

“It’s all right!” Hazel said, too quickly. “I just… is my hair a little burned?”

“No, no,” Violet said. “I would have warned you if it was in danger of that.” She brushed her hands through a strand of her own hair absentmindedly, adding, “I know from personal experience that it isn’t any fun.”

“Mm,” Hazel smiled. Her eyes became sympathetic. “Has she burned you before?”

“Not her,” Violet said, before realizing it. “Her mom, Infernape, was quite the handful, though.”

“Oh wow, you have an Infernape, too?” Hazel asked, her eyes wide. “You must be quite the Trainer.” She was quiet for a moment, and then asked, “May I ask why you don’t travel with Infernape anymore? And I remember you said something about the Professor keeping Gible’s mother back in Sinnoh, as well... ”

Violet nervously scrubbed at the back of her neck. She hadn’t wanted to do this just yet, but Hazel was apparently quite perceptive. And it would feel wrong to lie after she’d been so open with her own experiences to Violet.

“Well,” Violet began impishly, “After the Sinnoh League, I figured they deserved a break…”

“The _ Sinnoh League??? _ ” Hazel nearly shouted. Violet winced as several people turned their way, and Hazel leaned in, her voice a near whisper. “You battled in the _ Sinnoh League???” _

“Twice,” Hazel confirmed. “Came in second the first year, then first in the second year, but I couldn’t dethrone Cynthia. She’s pretty tough, I guess. I thought _ my _ Garchomp was strong, but _ boy _ , hers packs a real punch.” She was _ trying _ not to brag, she just didn’t appear to be succeeding.

“I… I think I remember seeing one of your matches on TV…” Hazel said, her eyes distant. “It was, what, five years ago?”

“That sounds about right,” Violet said nervously. “Against the tall guy with the big brown backpack?” Hazel’s eyes _ immediately _ lit up, and Violet just nodded expectantly.

“Yes!” Hazel said. “His Steelix was _ incredible, _but that orange Pokémon of yours - ”

“Floatzel,” Violet supplied.

“Floatzel, yes! It was _ so _ fast, and it just kept dodging everything!”

“We spent about a month on that,” Violet explained. “I watched him use Aqua Jet at the same time that an opponent’s move was about to hit him, and I got an idea.” She smiled at the memories. “We spent almost every night having Garchomp try to pin him down with Rock Slide, then Jolteon with Thunderbolt. When he spent one entire night without getting hit, I knew he’d be ready.”

“That’s just… you’re incredible.” Hazel said. She then caught herself, and Violet watched a familiar wave of shame wash over her. “I’m _ so _ sorry. I didn’t mean to fangirl.”

“It’s okay,” Violet said. “I uh… I kind of get it a lot, when somebody recognizes me.”

“Still,” Hazel said, her hand suddenly covering Violet’s. “I’m sure it isn’t your favorite thing to have somebody nerd out about it, and for that I’m sorry.” She blushed. “I, uh… I promise it doesn’t change the way I feel about you.” Suddenly, they _ both _ were blushing. 

“Here you are, ladies,” the server said from beside them, laying the check on the table. Hazel’s hand quickly left Violet’s to snatch it up before Violet had any say. 

“Hey!” Violet said, not sure if she was upset that Hazel was paying or that Hazel had stopped holding her hand. 

“Oh, there’s no _ way _ you’re paying,” Hazel said immediately. “I invited you, you paid for coffee this morning, you paid for the clothes that I recommended…” Violet’s eyes narrowed in a challenge, but she quickly relented when she saw that Hazel had a point. 

“Very well,” Violet relented. “But next time, let’s split the check.”

“We’ll see,” Hazel teased. 

* * *

Their mood had improved considerably as Hazel and Violet walked hand-in-hand back to the Pokémon Center. Now that they had moved past the heavier topics, Hazel was moving with a bit of a spring in her step. However, as they turned the corner, she felt Violet’s arm protectively move out in front of her, stopping her dead in her tracks. 

Violet’s arm was as solid as iron, which Hazel found _ very _attractive, but she didn’t get the chance to dwell on it much as her eyes landed on the three black-and-white clad individuals in front of them. 

“Team Skull,” she heard Violet mutter. The harsh edge in her voice (and the fact that she seemed very keen on protecting Hazel) was _ also _ very attractive. She knew she should be scared, but considering that a Sinnoh League veteran was here to protect her, she felt much safer.

“What’re you creeps doing here?” Violet called at them. “Mad that I beat your faces in last night?”

“You might say that,” the middle Team Skull grunt said coolly. He started to walk towards them. “But if I remember correctly, you got trounced by the boss.” The two lackeys flanking him, a man and a woman, let out heartlessly malicious laughs.

Violet audibly _ growled _ at that, and she tilted her head towards Hazel, making sure to keep both eyes on Team Skull. “Stay behind me,” she said, meant only for her. “I’ll take care of these guys.”

Violet raised herself up to her full height. She walked out in front of Hazel completely, a sudden calm surrounding her. “Yeah,” she shrugged. “Your boss may have gotten the better of me once. And I cared more about helping my Pokémon than I did about beating him.” Hazel was craning her neck to see past Violet, though she had _ no _ desire to actually be out front.

“Oh yeah?” The grunt called back through his bandana. He looked to his compatriots. “If I remember, the boss trounced your little Eevee and then you ran away like a scared little girl.”

Hazel expected that to faze Violet, but if it did, she didn’t show it. She merely cracked her neck, then her knuckles. 

“Maybe,” she said nonchalantly. She took a confident step forward, and Hazel couldn’t help but notice that one of the Team Skull members instinctively took a step back in response. Violet’s voice was suddenly very low. “But your boss isn’t _ here _ right now, is he?”

Now the other two Grunts took a step back, too. The middle one recovered quickly, though, and reached for his belt. “Sal-Salandit,” he stuttered, “let’s go!”

“Y-you too, Garbodor!” the man beside him added. Both threw their Poké Balls, and out came a small black-and-red lizard and a huge, sentient pile of rotting garbage with lots of teeth. 

“Two on one, huh?” Violet smirked. She reached for her belt, pulling out two Poké Balls. “I don’t like those odds for you. Gible, Rockruff, I need your help!”

Both of Violet’s Pokémon emerged. Gible gave a wicked smile, punching its tiny fist into its other, tiny hand. Rockruff simply let out a low growl, remarkably similar to the one Violet had made herself just a minute ago.

“You can give up if you like,” Violet said. 

“No way!” The Team Skull grunts shouted together. Violet crossed her arms, unimpressed.

“Last chance. Let us through and we’ll leave peacefully.”

“Yeah, right. You just don’t wanna lose in front of your _ giiirlfriend _,” one Grunt taunted.

Violet’s face hardened. Hazel couldn’t even process _ that _ little word before she heard Violet command, “Gible, Dig! Rockruff, use Rock Tomb on Salandit!”

Gible leapt about six inches into the air before instantly disappearing under the dirt path before them. Rockruff leapt into the air and spun, using its centripetal force to hurl a small pile of rocks from its tail at Salandit. 

“Salandit!” the grunt shouted. “U-use Poison Gas!” A purple cloud emerged from Salandit’s nose, but it was quickly dispersed as the Pokémon was trapped in a circle of falling rocks. 

“Use Bite!” Violet shouted. Rockruff was already descending from up above them, opening its jaws to conjure a larger, spectral set of teeth in front of it.

Violet kept up the momentum. “Gible, now!” She shouted. Hazel watched in astonishment as Gible broke out from the surface of the ground right behind Garbodor. Its opponent couldn’t turn fast enough, and Violet almost instantly called out. “Use Sand Tomb!”

Gible closed its eyes in concentration and the ground around Garbodor began to shift with an invisible wind. Sections of the dirt path were ripped into the air to swirl around Garbodor.

Before Hazel could fully process what was happening, she heard a woman’s voice from behind her call out. “Rattata, use Tackle!” Before Hazel was even able to turn around, Chimchar had leapt off of her shoulder. She flew out into the air to meet the buck-toothed black Pokémon that was only two feet from crashing into Hazel’s face. Its pink-haired Trainer stood on a ridge with a sinister grin - she must have snuck around behind them while her compatriots were battling with Violet. Hazel watched as Chimchar’s right arm became cloaked in fire, and it intercepted Rattata with a brutal uppercut. 

“V-Violet!” Hazel called out in fear. She didn’t realize that she was clutching onto Violet’s shoulder for dear life. Violet’s head whipped around and immediately took stock of the situation. Hazel could quickly tell that it would be impossible for her to split her focus in each direction. 

“Chimchar, protect Hazel!” She shouted. 

“Char!” Chimchar said, landing from its incredible mid-air Fire Punch. 

“That’s a pretty dirty trick!” Violet called out to her other two opponents.

“Nobody ever said we had to play fair!” The grunt replied with a sneer. They lobbed some insults Violet’s way but she ignored them, whispering over her shoulder to Hazel. 

“She knows Fire Punch, Fury Swipes, Shadow Claw, and Brick Break. I recommend the last one.”

“What?” Hazel said. “Are you - ”

“Yes,” Violet said. “You can do this. She trusts you.” Violet paused. “I trust you, too.”

“O-okay…” Hazel said. She had never been less sure of herself.

“I know you don’t think you ca-Rockruff, dodge it!” Violet said, the battle interrupting her. “Ugh, these jerks. Just do it, I believe in you!”

Hazel shuddered in fear. She had just told Violet that she’d lost every Pokémon battle she’d ever participated in. She shored up her courage, leaning her back against Violet’s for comfort. She looked at Chimchar, who gave her a knowing nod and a grin. 

“I can do this.” She said to herself. “I have to do this.”

“Okay, Chimchar!” Hazel shouted, with nothing close to Violet’s ironclad confidence. “I’m gonna do my best!”

“Char!” Chimchar said, punching her fists together.

“Brick Break!” Hazel shouted. 

“Rattata, use Super Fang!” the grunt replied. Rattata, now recovered from the brutal Fire Punch to its chin, started to charge along the ground towards Chimchar. The Pokémon kept its cool, allowing its opponent to approach. Hazel watched Chimchar’s right hand begin to glow with orange energy. Hazel saw what she was doing, and tried to keep up.

“Gible, Dragon Rage!” Violet shouted from behind her. “Rockruff, Rock Throw!” Hazel’s hand found Violet’s, and she immediately squeezed it. 

Violet squeezed back.

“NOW, Chimchar!” Hazel shouted.

Rattata had almost closed the gap, but Chimchar, who had been concealing her right hand behind her back, now raised it in preparation. She took a blindingly quick hop to the side, and leapt at Rattata. Rattata, unable to divert all of its momentum, took the full brunt of the move to its flank. Hazel winced as it flew off of its feet before skittering to a halt, having flown several feet. The Pokémon managed to stay upright for a moment, then collapsed.

“Ugh,” the grunt said in frustration. “Rattata, that was _ pathetic! _ Come back.” She pulled out her Poké Ball and Rattata disappeared in a flash of red light.

“You… you shouldn’t say things like that to your Pokémon!” Hazel shouted. 

“What’s it to you, girlie?” The Team Skull grunt replied. “Pokémon are just tools. You’re just lucky that your girlfriend’s are better than ours.” She gave Hazel a bone-chilling sneer. “If she wasn’t here, this would be a very different story.” She hopped down from the ridge she’d been standing on, turned on her heel, and started walking the long way around to her compatriots.

Hazel squeezed Violet’s hand again, and Chimchar happily ran towards her. She immediately scooped the Pokémon up in both arms, trying not to crush it with her insistent hug. “Thank you so much, Chimchar,” she said. “You were wonderful.”

Violet gritted her teeth. Hazel squeezing her hand at any other time would have been lovely, but in this instance, it probably meant that she was scared. Violet reluctantly dug into her bag and brought out a small blue crystal, affixing it to the bracelet on her wrist. She _ tried _ not to use this, but it would definitely finish the battle quickly, and that’s what Hazel needed right now.

“All righty, playtime’s over.” She said. “Rockruff, to me! Gible, are you ready?”

Gible let out an affirmative sound, trotting back from Garbodor into an open space. Rockruff jumped out of Salandit’s Ember attack and started making a beeline for Violet.

“What’re you doing now? Running away again, huh?” One grunt taunted. 

Despite herself, Violet let a grin out of the corner of her mouth. 

“Just watch.” 

She punched both arms out in front of her, crossing them at the wrist. She drew back into herself for a moment, and was surrounded by blue energy.  
“GIBLE,” Violet began, shouting at the top of her lungs. Her arms thrust out in front of her once more, this time stacked vertically, as if she were firing an energy blast from them.

Hazel watched in astonishment as, for all intents and purposes, she _ did._

The purple energy surrounding her washed over Gible, who, in turn, opened her maw. Hazel’s voice seemed to ring with a supernatural echo as she shouted. 

“_**U**_**_SE DEVASTATING DRAKE!”_ **

The blue energy building in Gible’s mouth roared and flew up into the sky, darkening it. Hazel couldn’t believe her eyes as the beam manifested itself into a spectral dragon, which spread its wings in fury. The attack flew towards Garbodor and Salandit with a terrifying combination of majesty and rage before crashing into the ground like a meteor. Hazel cowered behind Violet as the sound threatened to shatter her eardrums. 

When she peeked back up at Team Skull’s Pokémon, they had fainted together in a heap, and Gible stood above them, exhausted but triumphant. 

“Had enough?” Violet panted. 

Rather than dignify themselves with a response, all three members of Team Skull turned tail and ran, bringing their fainted Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

The moment they were gone, she slumped forwards, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Hazel, unsure of what else to do, put her hand on Violet’s shoulder.

_ Her very bare, very muscular shoulder, _ Hazel’s brain informed her, which she chose to ignore. For the moment.

“Violet, that was…” she couldn’t describe it.

“Sorry,” Violet said, still a bit out of breath. “I normally try to save my Z-Moves for when I really need them, but when you squeezed my hand, I thought you might need my help. I tried to end the battle as quick as I could.” She looked up at Hazel, fully realizing that she was totally fine, and Chimchar was happily perched on her shoulder. Violet let out a wry smile. “Guess I kinda overdid it, huh?”

“Maybe a tiny bit,” Hazel admitted. She smiled, despite it all. “It was _ very _ romantic of you, though. You were just trying to protect me.” Violet gave a flashy grin. 

“Well, I didn’t want those jerks anywhere near you,” she said. “And hey! Looks like you and Chimchar sorted things out!” Hazel scoffed a little, trying to downplay it. 

“She did most of the work,” Hazel said. “I was just along for the ride.” Violet scratched Rockruff on the head, and stood up again.

“Still,” Violet said, putting a hand on Hazel’s shoulder. “She trusts you - she listened to you, didn’t she?” Violet began walking over to Gible, who had plopped down on her butt after unleashing her Devastating Drake. Hazel followed, careful not to trip over Rockruff as he stayed at Violet’s heels.

“She did, yes. We used Brick Break, just as you said.”

“Nice,” Violet said, as if it were even remotely comparable to the battle that _ she _ had just had. “Seriously, Haze. It’s a pretty big deal. I’m proud of you.” Violet blushed. “Do… um. Do you like ‘Haze?’”

Hazel’s mouth made a small ‘o’ shape for a moment. Nobody had tried to give her a nickname before. She was also _ very _ smitten by the fact that Violet was proud of her. 

“I… yes. I like that.” She finally replied. Violet just gave a winning smile as she knelt down before Gible, patting her on the head.

“Hey, sweetie,” Violet said. “That took everything you had, huh?” Gible shamefully looked away from her, as if it felt sorry for itself. Hazel dimly realized that Gible was _ probably _ too exhausted to walk.

“Hey now, come on,” Violet cooed. “You’re still learning. We _ both _ are. That was amazing, and you should be really proud of yourself.” She chuckled. “I mean, you took out _ two _ Pokémon with one shot - and you didn’t even have a type advantage!”

Gible looked up at her, as if she were trying to see if Violet was telling the truth. When she saw the sincerity in Violet’s eyes and her smile, she perked up a little. 

“Gib!” Gible finally said.

“That was really amazing, Gible,” Hazel added. “I’d never seen a Z-Move before. I’m going to remember that for the rest of my life. Thank you.”

Gible’s eyes and her smile went as wide as her entire body, and to Hazel’s astonishment, she stood up and started dancing around.

“Hey, hey, don’t overdo it!” Violet said with a laugh. Gible nodded, and plopped down on her hindquarters again, her smile still a thousand-watt beam. “Come on back, sweetie. You deserve a nice, long rest.” And with that, Gible was safe back in her Poké Ball.

“You too, Rockruff,” Violet said, scratching under the Pokémon’s chin. “Your Rock Tombs are getting so quick! I’m really surprised that that Salandit didn’t scamper out.” Rockruff puffed up with the praise, and then quickly melted at Violet’s touch. Once it was satisfied with the petting, Rockruff gave Violet a little bark, ready to go back into its Poké Ball. 

Violet stood up, ready to give the same praise to Chimchar, but she stopped when she saw that Chimchar was already fast asleep on Hazel’s shoulder.

“You’re so patient and kind with them,” Hazel said. “It’s so wonderful, truly.”

“Of course!” Violet said. “They really deserve it - they work so hard.”

“That’s true,” Hazel said, taking both of Violet’s hands in her own. “But they aren’t the _ only _ ones.” She leaned in a little bit.

Violet raised an eyebrow for a moment, and then she realized that Hazel’s lips were _ very _ close to hers. Breathlessly, Violet asked, “Can… can I kiss you?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Hazel said, before their lips pressed together

Violet felt her heart rate double as her eyes fluttered shut. She hadn’t been kissed in a very long time, and Hazel was so soft, so delicate, and so lovely. She felt this incredible heat between them, and her arms instinctively wrapped around Hazel, hugging her close as if they’d been surrounded by a sudden blizzard.

Hazel put her hand on Violet’s cheek as she tasted the warmth of their kiss. Violet’s lips reminded her of a warm blanket on a cold night, or the kiss of the Alolan sun. It was _ fantastic, _ just like Hazel had dreamed what kissing another girl would be like. The emotions of their encounter compiled into one another, making their tender kiss suddenly feel urgent and needy. When they broke apart at last, Violet’s hands were on her hips, and she was cupping Violet’s now-red cheeks.

“Um,” Hazel spluttered, trying not to ruin the moment. “W-Wanna head back to the Pokémon Center? So your Pokémon can rest up and everything?”

“Sounds perfect,” Violet said. “Buuuut… we don’t have to go right away, do we?”

“I suppose not, no…” Hazel said, chuckling. 

When their lips met once more, the warmth in Hazel’s chest had nothing to do with the weather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I'm REALLY proud of this one!
> 
> -R
> 
> (P.S. did I really make sure that Violet's new outfit was actually available in the Malie City apparel shop in the games, even though that "accuracy" matters to no one? heck yeah I did! it's the black Distressed Jeans and the white Striped Halter Top, same link as last chapter if you're curious)


	4. Reflections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I bet you didn't expect to hear from ME again!
> 
> Yeah, sorry, I got really caught up writing about the protagonists of RWBY being a bunch of gay werewolves (which you can read about here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22397368/chapters/53512417) but I've been at last dragged back into my Pokemon hyperfixation by the Crown Tundra, so here's the half of a chapter I've had written since this story was last updated, along with a second, now-finally-finished half.  
I still know exactly where this series is going and how I plan to have the characters develop, but I was just struggling with the inspiration of linking events and finding out how to get there. I think I've got a bit of a better idea now, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> I definitely don't plan for this to be the last chapter (considering that the first three chapters ARE a pretty solid, self-contained little story), so thank you so much for your patience thus far, and I hope to see you here again much, much sooner!
> 
> -R

Violet flopped down on her bed at the Pokémon Center, totally exhausted. She and Hazel had spent the rest of their afternoon chatting at the café while Violet’s Pokémon were being healed. Then the crowds picked up pretty heavily, so Hazel had accepted Nurse Joy’s offer of time-and-a-half if she were to clock in a bit early and help out with the evening rush. 

After spending around two hours training with her team on the nearby beach (she’d made sure to make Riolu be the main focus, since he hadn’t battled), Violet took the opportunity to finally shower and wash her hair, and was  _ especially _ grateful that Hazel had offered to sneak her tank top and jean shorts into the Center’s laundry machines. Nurse Joy had overheard and totally approved, but Violet appreciated the offer to be stealthy nonetheless. 

After relaxing with Chimchar asleep on her chest for around fifteen minutes (she had fortunately been able to borrow Hazel’s hairdryer, a necessary implement for her nearly waist-length mane), she took out her Rotom Phone and called her mom.

The mischievous Electric-type inside the device flew over Violet of its own accord, allowing her to stay hands-free and idly pet Chimchar while she waited for the call to connect.

“Hey, sweetie!” Her mom’s comforting face immediately greeted her. “How’s everything?”

“Hey, Mom,” Violet said. “Sorry, I know it’s been a while. Things have been kinda hectic here in Alola.”

“I figured,” her mom said sympathetically. “Though it  _ has _ been about a month. You bought me this ridiculous, flying thing, the least you could do is call me more often with it. You’re the only person I know who has one.“

Really?” Violet asked. “I hear they’re huge in Galar.”

“Not too big around here yet,” her mom replied. “Professor Rowan might have one, but he usually just comes to visit in person most of the time, or he’ll send Lucas.”

“Mm,” Violet agreed. “Have you been letting Rotom out of the phone to feed them and everything?”

“Oh, of course!” Her mom replied. “The poor dear barely even stays in the thing, they honestly seem to prefer the washing machine. But of course I feed them! I know what I’m doing, I’ve been taking care of Glameow since you were just a baby.” The Glameow in her mother’s lap purred with satisfaction.

“I know, Mom, I know,” Violet sighed with a smile.

Her mother gave her an indulgent look. “You didn’t call just to talk to me about my last birthday present. What’s going on, honey? How’s Alola?”

“Never a dull moment,” Violet said. “I had a bit of a scare last night with Eevee, but Nurse Joy said she’s gonna be okay.”

“Oh no! What happened?” Violet looked away, her face sour. She also realized that her mom had  _ definitely  _ noticed the bandages on her hands.

“Remember those Team Galactic jerks I helped the Champion get rid of like six years ago?”

Her mother blinked. “The tacky weirdos with the bowl cuts?”

“Them,” Violet nodded. “Apparently, there are similar jerks here in Alola, but their leader was  _ maybe _ a bit tougher than I gave him credit for. Eevee got hurt pretty badly and I had to rush her to the Pokémon Center at… um… 3 AM.”

Her mother’s stern look was likely equal parts concern for her Pokémon and for her sleep schedule, and Violet chose to engage with the former. “I know, I know, it was really dumb. I’m still getting used to my new team, and I pushed Eevee harder than I should have. She’s fine right now, and is resting just downstairs.”

“You’re staying there tonight, then?”

“Yeah. My apartment is on another island, and I want to stay close until she’s better.” Her mom gave an approving nod, and Violet, having successfully managed to dance around Hazel in her story thus far, figured that she might as well actually get to the reason that she’d called.

“Also,” Violet began slowly. “I  _ may _ have met a girl.”

“A  _ girl!”  _ Her mother nearly shouted, startling Glameow out of her lap with a yowl. She apologized to the insulted Pokémon before saying “Violet, that’s  _ wonderful!  _ Tell me everything.”

Violet couldn’t help but smile. She was arguably famous, especially in the Sinnoh region - speculation about her dating life might be an article in some tabloid, but her mom was still her biggest fan. 

“Her name is Hazel,” Violet said. “We actually just met last night, she was working the night shift when I brought Eevee in for help.”

“Violet,  _ please _ tell me you’re not dating a nurse whose last name is Joy,” her mother said wearily. “I  _ cannot _ go through the experience of taking Glameow in for a checkup and being helped by somebody who looks exactly like your girlfriend.”

“Mo-om!” Violet whined. 

“I’m sorry, honey, it’s just the truth. Besides, aren’t those Joy girls all a bit old for you?”

Violet painfully rolled her eyes and sighed. “Well, I don't actually  _ know  _ Hazel’s last name yet, but she’s not related to the Joy family, and she’s definitely my age.”

“Thank goodness,” her mom replied, oozing with sarcasm.

“Also, she’s not my girlfriend.”

Violet’s mother wordlessly raised an eyebrow.

“I mean... we haven’t really had that conversation yet.”

The eyebrow traveled farther upwards.

“Come on, Mom, we just met yesterday!” Violet crossed her arms. “And we’ve only kissed twice.” 

Violet had to lean back from the phone, because upon hearing this, her mother nearly shouted.

“ _ TWICE???”  _

  
  


* * *

A few hours later, Violet was brushing some of the sand out of Rockruff’s fur when she heard a knock at the door.

“Just a second!” She called, standing up and putting the brush down next to Rockruff. Violet made her way to the door and opened it to find Hazel standing there, a bag of takeout food in one hand and Violet’s freshly washed and folded clothes in the other.  
She was also still wearing her pink Pokémon Center uniform, and Violet would be lying through her teeth if she said she didn’t find the outfit to be incredibly cute on her.

“Hey!” Hazel said, giving a nervous smile. “I uh, I figured you didn’t have anything to eat, so…”

Violet’s eyes went wide at the gesture, and then she smiled. 

“Oh my gosh, thanks! That’s very sweet of you.” She saw Hazel give the slightest blush at that. A moment passed, and then Violet realized that they were just standing there in the doorway.

“Uhh, here!” Violet said, backing away from the door and gesturing for Hazel to come in. “Sorry,” she said as Hazel stepped inside. “I was just brushing Rockruff after our training today.”

“That’s okay,” Hazel said. “I figured you’d be doing something like that.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m a little predictable,” Violet said with a grin. 

Hazel merely hummed, sitting on the foot of Violet’s bed. 

“How’re you feeling, Rockruff?” Violet asked. “All clean?”

Rockruff gave an affirmative, happy yip.

“Alrighty. Come on back, then,” Violet said, bringing it back into its Poké Ball. She looked up at Hazel, who was still holding the bag of takeout. 

“Seriously, thank you for bringing that,” she said. “I can, uh, kinda forget to eat sometimes.” 

Hazel gave her a look.

“That’s probably not the healthiest thing,” she said gently.

“No…” Violet laughed. “Perhaps not.” She took the bag, and began to unpack it onto the room’s tiny table.

Hazel sat quietly on the foot of Violet’s bed, spacing out as she watched her eat. She felt something small moving on the bed, and turned to see Chimchar, having just woken up. Chimchar reached for her, and she gave a warm smile, gently picking the Pokémon up to lie in her lap. She idly scratched at Chimchar’s head, and this instantly lulled her back to sleep.

Violet had sat down at a chair up against the wall, so Hazel had a side view as the Trainer quietly ate. 

“This is really good!” Violet said, her mouth still somewhat full.

“It’s from my favorite food stand,” Hazel explained. “Well, besides some of the malasada shops in town.”

Violet just made an affirmative humming noise, her mouth too full for a proper response.

Hazel gave a wan smile, and found herself studying Violet as she ate. Her gorgeous long hair was up in a ponytail, and she still wore the jeans and halter top that they’d bought that morning. Violet also seemed to have left the brush that she’d been using on Rockruff on the floor, and her bag leaned against the wall nearby, presumably holding more tools for general grooming. She’d taken her Poké Balls off of her belt, letting them rest on the bedside table. A face-down Rotom Phone was next to them.

Hazel wondered what life must truly be like for Violet. She certainly hadn’t known her for very long, but she’d already seen a fair amount of her personality. While the fact that she could still just barely feel Violet’s earlier kiss on her lips was somewhat influencing her impression, the first thing that she had noticed about Violet was her tenderness. From the way that she’d comforted Eevee at 3 AM to the way that she’d held Hazel as they kissed, Violet had this tremendously soft aspect to her that, from what Hazel could tell, she almost never thought about.

“So,” Violet said, bringing Hazel out of her thoughts. “How was your shift?”

“It was pretty good,” Hazel replied. “I mostly handled the front while Nurse Joy was working on the specific injuries in the back, but I checked in on your Eevee while I was back there.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Violet immediately replied. The gratitude in her voice was heavy, and she looked at the floor. “I’m so stupid - I should have done that ages ago today…”

“Hey,” Hazel said, standing up. “It’s okay, Eevee is mostly just sleeping right now. She didn’t even notice when I came by to check in.”

“Still…” Violet said, starting to stand up. “Think I could head downstairs and see her? I…”

“Violet.” Hazel said firmly, stopping the Trainer in her tracks. She took a breath, then resumed. “You have been away from Eevee for less than twelve hours. You checked on her this morning, right?” 

Violet nodded.

“So,” Hazel continued. “Less than twelve hours. Plus, the  _ only _ food you’ve had today is what I’ve personally invited you to, or brought you.” She gave a small, tender smile. “And you’re not even finished with it yet.”

Violet looked down at the table, and seemed to realize that what Hazel said was true - she was only around halfway through her meal. Hazel walked over to sit opposite Violet at the table, gently coaxing her to sit down as well.

“I’d be happy to visit Eevee with you in a few minutes or so, once you’ve finished. And I know you’re worried about her. You take incredible care of your Pokémon, but…” slowly, she reached out to take Violet’s hand. Making direct eye contact, she said, “You don’t exactly seem like you’re ever trying to take care of  _ yourself.” _

Hazel was worried about saying this to Violet. They’d barely met each other, and in a great many ways it was  _ extremely _ presumptuous and likely inappropriate for her to be so concerned about Violet’s well-being, but… she couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

Violet laughed. 

“Yeah. I guess you’re right, huh?” She said, as though she were realizing it for the first time. She gave an embarrassed grin.

“Just a little,” Hazel agreed.

“Yeah…” Violet said. She trailed off, thinking. 

Hazel found herself looking over Violet’s shoulder, out the window at the Alolan moon. She blinked in surprise when Violet spoke up again, still chewing.

“Oh, hey,” Violet said. “This is maybe a weird question, but I was talking to my mom today, and…” she blushed. “What’s your last name? I know we’re definitely on a first-name basis and all, but…” Hazel smiled.

“Weaver.” She replied. “Hazel Weaver. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Violet Young,” Violet said. “It’s nice to meet you too - though I guess we’re kind of past the point of introductions by now, huh?”

“Still,” Hazel laughed. “Why do you ask?” 

Violet rolled her eyes. “When I told my mom about you, she assumed you were one of the many Nurses Joy,” she explained. “And then I realized I didn’t have your last name, so…”

“Oh, I see,” Hazel laughed. She met Violet’s eyes with a cheeky grin. “You told your mom about me already, huh?”

Violet nearly choked on her food.

* * *

The door to the Center’s back room creaked open slowly. A pair of footsteps made their way down the hall for several paces, before stopping in front of a small brown Pokémon.

“Hey, sweetie,” Violet cooed, gently moving to sit against Eevee’s table. “How’re you feeling?”

“Vee!” The Pokémon replied, her face brightening as soon as she recognized her visitors.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Hazel said. She mirrored Violet’s position on the table. “Good to see you, Eevee.”

Eevee gave a quick, happy little nod.

“I’m so,  _ so _ sorry about yesterday,” Violet said softly. “I know you weren’t there for most of the Team Galactic stuff I got involved with all that time ago, and that Guzma guy is a lot stronger than I thought he’d be. Still, that doesn’t mean that I should have pushed you so much, and I’m sorry for that. I understand if you’re upset with me, I -”

At this point, Eevee had shakily stood, walked a few steps over to Violet, and gently put a paw on her knee to stop her.

“I… what?” Violet asked in confusion.

“I think Eevee forgives you,” Hazel said with a polite giggle.

Violet gasped, then smiled, giving Eevee a grateful nod. She took one hand and began softly stroking Eevee’s back. The Pokémon sighed happily, leaning into the contact and letting her eyes slip closed.

Hazel just watched them for a while, content to enjoy the nurturing expression on Violet’s face while her reassuring touches gently lulled Eevee to sleep.

“How long do you think she should stay here?” Violet asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Only another day or two, I think,” Hazel said, equally quiet. “She’s been recovering astonishingly well, in all honesty. I’m impressed.”

Violet smiled. “Yeah, that’s my Eevee.”

There was another short silence.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Hazel said.

“What’s up?”

“Last night, you were in Po Town, right? And you fought with Team Skull’s leader?”  
Violet quietly sighed, looking out the room’s small window to stare at the full moon. “Yeah.”

“What happened, during that battle? I mean, I know how it ended, but…”

Violet let out a long, bone-deep sigh. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“I like stories,” Hazel said softly. She realized that she’d been staring into Violet’s eyes for just a  _ tiny _ bit too long, so she leaned back, smiling awkwardly. “Besides, I think I should replace the bandages on your hands, and that’ll probably take a while, so…”

“Oh,” Violet said, looking down at her hands. She’d removed the bandages before her shower that evening. They’d felt fine initially, but now that Hazel had mentioned it, they  _ were _ kinda tingling in all the places they’d been cut up, so maybe a fresh set of bandages wasn’t a terrible idea. 

“Here,” Hazel murmured. “I am still  _ technically _ on my shift right now, so I might have to go if someone comes by. But, as long as I’m here helping bandage a Trainer’s hands, I’m pretty sure I can listen to a story. Okay?”

Violet just nodded, sitting a bit more comfortably on the observation table where Eevee was resting. Hazel retrieved some fresh bandages, and began gently undoing the old ones. Violet had to suppress a blush at the sensation of her warm, confident hands as they moved. Hazel’s face was screwed up in concentration at her task, but the little look she gave confirmed that she was ready to hear the story.

“So,” Violet began, looking out the window. “I overheard these two guys yelling at a kid to hand over his Yungoos…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry that this VERY long-awaited chapter was so short, but this felt like a good time to break it and go into Violet's story about Team Skull in the next one, which I am going to start writing as soon as this uploads! I appreciate everybody for sticking with me, and I hope that seeing an update to *this* fic was a fun little surprise.
> 
> Also, if you want more Pokemon content from me, here's a silly little oneshot I wrote after the first real trailer for the Crown Tundra about a month ago, where Gloria, champion of the Galar region, challenges former champion Leon to an exhibition match, and her team is rather "legendary." It's a silly meme but I'm very proud of it, so um... enjoy? (https://archiveofourown.org/works/26718328)
> 
> Thanks again for reading! See you next time!
> 
> -R


End file.
